Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 31: Niu Guier, the Eunuch
"Speak slowly, speak slowly, don't panic!"

Zhang Luo's expression changed immediately when he saw Zhou Lang's panic and grief. He quickly stepped forward and helped Zhou Lang up. "Were you persecuted by the government, or by a powerful family? On what charge did the officials arrest you?"

"I don't, I don't know. I was working behind the farm, and my mother stayed at home. I only found out about the incident when the neighbors came to tell me. By then, the officials had surrounded my house, and I couldn't get close, so I had to come look for my husband..."

Zhang Luo couldn't help but frown. The first thing that came to his mind was that Zhou Liang had offended someone by reporting the wealthy and powerful families, so he was retaliated against. However, it was difficult to determine the truth of the matter at the moment.

"You guys wait for Ding Cang at the farm. When he returns, go to the south of Xiangshan and wait for a while. I'll go to the city to get some information."

Zhang Luo naturally couldn't just ignore the matter. He couldn't let Zhou Liang die in obscurity, especially since his wife had been arrested. The small items temporarily stored at his home must have been confiscated, but compared to the loss of life, this was a minor matter. The most important thing right now was to understand the situation.

So Zhang Luo explained to Yingniang and her daughter, and then took Ding Qing and the frightened and sad Zhou Liang to go into the city to find out.

Before leaving the farm, Zhang Luo returned to his bedroom and took a scroll with him. This was a copy of the list of people who had invaded the farm and dominated the water that he had copied down at Zhou Liang's house.

Although he didn't want to have any conflicts with these powerful people, this was after all precious first-hand information that Zhou Liang had collected and sorted out bit by bit during his field visits. Leaving a copy of it might be useful in the future.

If Zhou Liang was really killed because of this, Zhang Luo might not dare to retaliate against these people head-on, but he would also find a way to retaliate through this information. After all, he cannot let these people live too comfortably.

When they were near the city gate, Zhang Luo asked Zhou Lang to hide outside Changxia Gate temporarily because he was worried that Henan Prefecture might have issued an arrest warrant, while he and Ding Qing went into the city to find out the situation.

After entering the city, Zhang Luo and Ding Qing rode their horses at full speed all the way to Xuanfanfang, where the Henan government office was located.

The government office, located in the middle of the square, opened onto the street. It looked quite imposing, with officials and runners patrolling on either side of the gate, staffs in hand, making it difficult for anyone to approach. Zhang Luo rode across the street for a moment, but seeing nothing special, he simply rode forward.

"You are not allowed to charge into the government office on horseback! Stop, what do you want to report?"

When the two officials saw Zhang Luo riding his horse, they immediately crossed their long sticks in front of them and spoke loudly.

Zhang Luo dismounted a few feet away from the government office, took two steps forward, and, looking slightly up at the two officials, said, "I have no business to report to the government office. I'm just here to look for someone. Immediately inform the recorder, Zhou Liang, to come out and see me. If anyone dares to delay, I will not forgive him!"

"Zhou Liang? May I ask what you are looking for?"

The two men looked at Zhang Luo's majestic mount, and then at the fancy clothes he had recently changed into. Naturally, they did not dare to treat him as an ordinary person. They began to wonder in their hearts, and started asking questions again.

Zhang Luo rolled his eyes, still looking arrogant, and mumbled, "Hurry up and report it! Zhou Liang knows what's going on! He accepted my money and promised to do something, but now he still hasn't completed it. Does he really think that I won't come looking for him just because he hides in the government office all day?"

As he spoke, he took two steps forward. He had seen and heard many of his cousins ​​acting recklessly, and now he imitated the fearless dandy very well.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, Mr. Zhou is not here, no... Zhou Liang has committed a crime and is dead. Even if you enter the palace now, you won't be able to find him!"

The two officials took two steps back and saw that the young man in bright clothes and riding a horse was very aggressive, so they spoke again hurriedly.

"He's dead, how did he die? Are you Zhou Liang's relatives or friends? Are you deliberately covering up for him while I'm here to question him?"

Zhang Luo's face darkened upon hearing this. He took out the fish token that Concubine Wu Hui had given him earlier and held it in his hand. He pointed at the two men and shouted angrily, "What happened? Tell me carefully and honestly. Don't think I'm just a passerby and you can lie to me!"

"How dare I, how dare I! Zhou Liang is indeed dead. That morning, he illegally dug the dike south of the West Garden outside the city, causing it to burst and flood, and he himself drowned. His evil deeds have caused flooding in Luonan, and the Grand Magistrate is furious, personally leading officials to the disaster relief efforts..."

Although the two could not see the logo on the fish symbol clearly, since the young man took out this item, it meant that he had an official background, so they naturally dared not neglect him.

"Nonsense! It's been sunny this spring, no rain, so there's no flood disaster. You still refuse to tell me the truth. It seems you really think I'm someone who can be bullied!"

Zhang Luo's face was full of anger, and he raised his hand as if to swing the whip in his hand.

"It's true, it's true. Although it didn't rain, Luonan still had dams to store water. Zhou Liang privately dug the dam, causing the water to collapse. Not only did he kill himself, but he also implicated others. His family has also been arrested and brought to the government office to be questioned."

After listening to the official's story, Zhang Luo frowned again. After a moment's hesitation, he continued, "Zhou Liang had previously promised me a favor, and I had deposited some small goods with him. Since you were going to his house to arrest him, you must have seen him.

I dare not inquire rashly into the affairs of Henan Prefecture, but I must retrieve the items I deposited there. The Grand Magistrate is away from the palace. Is there someone else in charge? Could I confront Zhou Liang's family? If it doesn't affect the case, I'd like to take the items away first." "The Grand Magistrate is out of town to provide disaster relief, the Junior Magistrate is in the provincial capital to report on matters, and Liu Cang Cao remains at the palace. May I ask what your Excellency and your Excellency's names are? I'll allow you to submit your report."

After hearing this, the two of them continued talking, while looking at the fish talisman in Zhang Luo's hand, and it was obvious that they wanted to check it out.

Zhang Luo was about to hand over the fish token when his mind raced, and he asked, "Who is Liu Cangcao from? Is Zheng Hun, the military officer, in the palace?"

The only person in Henan Prefecture who had seen him interact with Zhou Liang was Xu Shen, who had resigned. Others might have heard of him, but they had never seen him.

However, there was a military officer named Zheng Hun, who happened to be a distant nephew of Zhang Jun's wife, Zheng. He had previously tried to obstruct the Henan officials from repairing the canal near his home but failed. It is estimated that he knew him.

"Liu Cangcao's hometown is Ruzhou, and Zheng Canjun has gone south of the city with the Grand Magistrate and is not in the government office."

Zhang Luo felt relieved after hearing this and handed the fish talisman in his hand to the two of them.

The two men took the fish token and hurriedly lowered their heads to check it. When they saw the words "Ministry of Internal Affairs" on it, their faces became a little strange. At the same time, they couldn't help but sigh in their hearts. Looking at the good-looking young man in fine clothes and riding a horse, they didn't know how many young girls in love he could charm. It was a pity that he was not a real man.

This fish token was used to enter and exit the palace, so they naturally couldn't verify it here. They were just confirming the other party's identity. One of them hurried into the palace holding the fish token and went to the side hall to say respectfully to a middle-aged man in his forties, "Report to Liu Cangcao, there are officials from the Imperial Household Department outside the palace who want to see you..."

"What are these eunuchs from the Ministry of Internal Affairs doing here?"

Liu Cang Cao Zheng looked very annoyed. A series of river breaches occurred in Luonan, and this happened during the emperor's stay, which made everyone in the mansion feel uneasy. When he heard that the eunuchs in the inner palace had also come to add to the trouble, he was naturally very annoyed.

He took the fish token and glanced at it hastily. He listened to the official's explanation of the man's request, then after a moment's hesitation, he stood up and said, "Take him through the side door to the prison. Don't let him come to the front hall."

Zhang Luo, now disguised as "Nui Gui'er, the eunuch," was soon led to a courtroom within the Henan Prefecture Prison, where prisoners were interrogated. Liu, the warehouse officer, was already waiting there. He quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "I am Liu Gui, the assistant warehouse officer of Henan Prefecture. May I ask why Niu, the eunuch, is seeking the interrogation of the prisoner, Zhou Liang, and his family?"

They actually have the same name.

Zhang Luo laughed at first when he heard this, but soon frowned slightly. Is this called offending an official?

He already had some guesses in his mind. It was probably because an accident occurred during the process of river canal renovation in Henan Prefecture, which caused the river to burst its banks. Zhou Liang, who was relatively active in his actions and unfortunately fell into the water and was killed, was tacitly put the blame on by the Henan Prefecture officials who were afraid of being blamed.

"I'm sorry to trouble you, Liu Cang Cao. A government official may have reported me. I had some belongings left at the residence of Zhou Liang, the recorder, but they were unfortunately confiscated by the officials. If this were just a personal matter, I wouldn't dare disturb you, but these small items involve relatives of the Internal Affairs Department. Therefore, I implore Liu Cang Cao to summon Zhou Liang's family for a confrontation. If the items are not related to the case, please return them first."

What he was really thinking about was naturally not the goods, but he was worried that Mrs. Zhou was already in poor health and had been hit so suddenly by such a change. She might not be able to bear it. If he could see her, it would give her some comfort.

Eunuchs also have relatives. Some old eunuchs with rich experience in the harem often adopt smart and promising young eunuchs as their adopted sons, and even form eunuch families that are passed down for generations.

The discovery of so many valuable items in Zhou Liang's home was already suspicious. However, the flood hadn't been resolved yet, and the government had no time to delve into the matter. Upon hearing that a eunuch had entered the palace to claim the items, Liu Cangcao couldn't help but harbor suspicions.

He also wanted to find out if Zhou Liang had any hidden connections, so after some thought, he agreed to the request. If Zhou Liang really did have connections within the inner palace, then the palace's actions would likely cause a lot of personnel trouble.

Not long after, Mrs. Zhou Liang, with tear marks on her face and pale and haggard, was led into the hall. When she saw Zhang Luo, her red eyes immediately showed a glimmer of hope.

"Madam Zhou, do you remember me? Your husband, Zhou Liang, has always promised me what I want. I treated him as a trustworthy person and entrusted him with everything. A scroll of ancient Qutang paintings, although it is worm-eaten and full of holes, but it is still valuable, two Yangzhou bronze mirrors, and a pound of paper..."

Fearing that Madam Zhou might reveal her true identity, Zhang Luo spoke first, "Now that your husband has passed away, the matter is over. I am too lazy to discuss matters in detail. Should I return all my belongings to you?"

"I remember, besides these things, there is also a jade pendant. My neighbor borrowed it to set up the wedding tent. Please don't forget to take it back."

Mrs. Zhou thought for a moment, then understood. She quickly bowed and said, "All the other items have been confiscated by the government, except for the ancient painting. My late husband loved it and admired it every day. I was disgusted by the hideous holes in it, so I burned it before the officials entered the house."

"Burned? You foolish woman... Of all these things, only this painting and the jade pendant are the most valuable. I've already retrieved the jade pendant, but the ancient painting is lost to you. This debt cannot be repaid! Although your husband is dead, if you want to live, even if the government can spare you, I cannot! When the case is settled, I will come back to claim you!"

Zhang Luo pretended to be angry when he heard this, slammed the table and stood up, pointing at Madam Zhou and shouting angrily. Madam Zhou lowered her head and burst into tears after hearing that the Langpei had been retrieved.

(End of this chapter)